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Grand Island board to put purchase-and-upfit of former dealership to November referendum
Summary
The Town Board announced it will place a referendum on the November ballot asking voters to authorize borrowing to buy and retrofit a former dealership property for a community and recreation center; town officials described the site, preliminary cost guidance and next steps.
Supervisor Marcedo told the Town Board that the town will ask voters in November whether to authorize a purchase and retrofit of a former Hyundai dealership property for use as a community and recreation center.
The board voted on Aug. 1 to sponsor a referendum that, if approved by voters, would allow the town to bond up to a $10 million cap to purchase and upgrade the site. Supervisor Marcedo said the town’s work to date includes property tours, conceptual drawings from planning consultant Lavela and preliminary cost estimates.
Why it matters: the purchase would create a town-owned campus with indoor space and acreage the board says could be used for recreation, senior services and future town needs. The question will be decided directly by voters; no purchase can occur without voter approval.
Supervisor Marcedo said preliminary projections — based on 2024 data and an “unfavorable” interest-rate assumption — estimate an annual tax impact of about $120 for a property assessed at $400,000. He cautioned the projection is preliminary and that final tax impact is still being vetted with the town’s accountants. “This will come at a cost, which is not completely vetted yet,” Marcedo said during the discussion.
Board members and staff described the site as having existing utilities (gas, water, electric), potential future sewer access, about 24,900 square feet of building area and roughly 84 acres of property in total, with approximately 11 acres already developed for the existing tenant. Marcedo noted some backland contains deep wetlands and therefore is not developable.
The town engaged Lavela to prepare conceptual drawings and generalized pricing to help the board understand potential retrofits and long‑term value. Marcedo said the town’s initial view is that retrofitting an existing building would be fiscally conservative compared with constructing a new center, but he emphasized the decision will be left to voters at referendum and that additional analysis and transparency will continue as materials are posted to the town website.
Marcedo said the town’s goal is to preserve the site as a potential town campus that could be developed incrementally; he also said opinions differ among residents and board members about the project. “Is this the perfect solution? No. Is this an extremely good opportunity financially to get a community center in our town? Absolutely,” Marcedo said, while adding that not everyone supports the proposal.
Next steps: materials and detailed cost estimates will be posted to the town website as they become available, and the referendum will appear on the November ballot per the board’s Aug. 1 sponsorship vote.
Ending: The board did not adopt a purchase contract at the meeting; the referendum vote is the next formal step required before any purchase or long‑term borrowing occurs.
